Android

The full launch of Android Q is still a way off, but today Google pushed out the first beta version of the mobile OS, which will work on any Pixel phone – and while the big headline features are still to come, we've got some early pointers about what the next version of Android is going to bring.

​What's old is new. While companies like Samsung and Huawei race to bring modern folding phones to market, UK-based F(x)tec is focusing its efforts on another blast from the past – the slide-out keyboard. The startup's Pro1 smartphone has been launched at Mobile World Congress 2019.​

Volvo's Tesla-hunting electric offshoot Polestar has opened up a demonstration website for the user interface it plans to run on the upcoming Polestar 2. Based on Android, it'll include the Google Assistant, Google Play Store and whatever apps you like. Plus, it seems to want to be fun, too.

​Why carry a dedicated camera around these days when your phone can take care of most moment capture needs? Chinese photographic equipment maker Yongnuo has revealed the YN450, a smartphone-like mirrorless camera that runs Android and is compatible with Canon camera lenses.​

The Nebula Capsule II from Anker is a solid update to its original small portable projector launched late in 2017. The new model boasts 720p projection, increased brightness, louder sound, and better connectivity, making it a competitive and affordable option in the pico projector market.

A system combining robotics and animation software to create lifelike humanoid characters has been demonstrated in a new video by Engineered Arts. Dubbed Mesmer, the technology promises cheaper results by pulling disparate technologies into a single package.

​The personal robot Temi put in an appearance at IFA today, alongside the news that it will go on sale worldwide October 1 for the confirmed price of US$1,500. Its makers call it the first truly-useful personal robot.

LG has used IFA 2018 in Berlin to whip the covers off two new mid-range phones. On the outside, the G7 One and G7 Fit look a lot like LG’s flagship G7 ThinQ, but the guts of the phones have been pared back to make them more “accessible” and, presumably, more affordable.

Six months after the initial announcement and after several months of beta testing, Android P is finished and has a new name: Android 9.0 Pie. The updated software is rolling out now to Pixel phones, with other handsets in the beta program getting the finalized OS in the next month or two.

With Google now turning to Chrome OS tablets, and Amazon hoovering up the budget end of the market, top-end Android tablets capable of taking on the iPad Pro directly are thin on the ground. The new Galaxy Tab S4 from Samsung, therefore, has immediately become the best of the bunch.